FONTVIELLE (Monaco): World 10,000m champion Joshua Cheptegei broke the world 5,000m record at the Wanda Diamond League meeting in Monaco on Friday night, clocking a stunning 12:35.36.
The Ugandan took two seconds off Kenenisa Bekele's mark of 12:37.35, set 16 years ago in Hengelo. Amazingly, it was Cheptegei's first race since setting a world 5km record on the roads on February 16, also in Monaco.
Paced through the early stages by Roy Hoornweg (2:31.87 at 1,000m) and Matthew Ramsden (5:03.77 at 2,000m), Cheptegei took up the running at halfway and continued the metronomic pace, churning out 61-second laps. He passed through 3000m in 7:35.14 and then upped the pace slightly with a 2:30 for the fourth kilometre.
Having left the rest of the field way behind, he maintained his tempo and eked out another 2:30 split for the final kilometre, bringing him to the finish line in 12:35.36.
Kenya's Nicholas Kimeli, who was just approaching the final straight as Cheptegei crossed the line, finished a distant second in a lifetime best of 12:51.78. His compatriot Jacob Krop came at third with a timing of 13:11.32.